I first read about the Purple Man (yes, he’s “the” Purple Man as opposed to just Purple Man, unlike Iron Man or Spider-Man) (which shows how obnoxious he is like some boys schools I know of) in the New Avengers, and then I saw in on “Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes”. I’ve always been a little, erm, curious about his popularity since his powers could mostly be duplicated or even exceeded by many high-level psychics, and then there are characters like Mesmero who effectively have the same powers.
Anyway, he has hypnotic abilities and goes by the name of Zebediah Kilgrave. He appears on Netflix’s “Jessica Jones”, played by David Thennant.
His human name, as pointed out by someone on the show, is also rather on-the-nose. “Kill” and “grave” in the same surname. His name also reminds me of the Superman villain Thaddeus Kilgrave, who is far less menacing than the Purple Man, although it’s not like the Purple Man looks menacing either, beyond the fact that he’s, you know, purple.
The Purple Man is from the 6 inch Marvel Legends line, and he comes as part of the SDCC 2016’s ‘The Raft’ box set. ‘The Raft’ retails for SGD $199.90. Thank you, Hasbro, for sending him over!
So I’m still learning about the in and outs of 6″ figures. I like the additional points of articulation and I like that they are heftier, although I am wondering how collectors manage to have the space to collect them since they are pretty huge.
Then again I collect Transformers, so I really am not in a position to say much.
Comparatively speaking, Purple Man is smaller than most of the villains in The Raft box set. I can’t tell if he’s smaller than average, but it fits given that his power set isn’t physical in nature, but mental. I know some of you out there are going to quibble that his power works on a physical level, which is true, but thematically his power is mental.
So size shouldn’t be an issue.
I can see so many customisable options for him, given that his “costume” is really a business suit. His blazer and tie are individual pieces, although they aren’t removable. He’s got nicely wrinkled/creased parts to simulate the fact that his suit isn’t all that fitting, which befits a supervillain who’s meant to be sleazy rather than suave. Plus he has nice shoes.
Overall, he does fit the mould of the mastermind who’s behind the scenes. I’d have liked him to literally come with some puppetmaster’s strings, but that would have been more of a bonus rather than something I’d consider critical.
As you can see, his tie is floppy. It’s still plastic though, so don’t expect it to bend around like cloth. There are even button details on his shirt underneath which is rather impressive, I must say. I mean, they didn’t really have to give button details since there’s a tie covering everything.
Then again I’m also not sure whether his body is a retool (do they use the word “retool” for 6 inch figures) so I’m not too sure either. But I’d give them the benefit of the doubt.
Face-wise, I’d say he has a rather neutral expression. Not too fierce, but not that friendly either.
So how does this master manipulator turn out? I’d say that he does have the build and appearance of a sleazeball who’s trying to hypnotise everyone, which is what he is anyway. He’s a change from the usual villains we get, and honestly it’s good that he came as part of a box set since I’m not sure if he’d be viable as a toy by himself. I mean sure, seasoned fans would collect him (and viewers of “Jessica Jones”), but I’m not sure if the average toy buyer would get him.
He’s a lot more than just a purple guy in a suit, that’s for sure.
Watch out for my next few reviews of “The Raft” boxset!
The Raft (SDCC 2016)
Spider-Man (and The Raft’s packaging)
Marcus Goh is a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. You can find him on social media as Optimarcus and on his site.
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